Three-dimensional (3D) scanning and digitization have many applications in a number of industries and services. For example, products may be scanned and digitized in order to ensure conformity of product shape and product measurement in industrial production systems. As another example, prototypes may be scanned and digitized to assist with design and stylizing in industrial design. As still other examples, complex parts may be scanned and digitized for the purpose of reverse engineering, objects may be scanned and digitized to allow interactive visualization in multimedia applications, and artwork and artifacts may be scanned and digitized to create 3D documentation of such works. Other applications of 3D scanning and digitization exist as well.
A number of 3D scanning and digitization techniques exist, including, for example, structured light illumination techniques, x-ray, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance stimulus techniques, and video processing techniques. Each of these techniques typically includes capturing incremental data from an object, deriving 3D data from the captured incremental data, and registering the incremental data to a common 3D coordinate system, resulting in a 3D object data model of the scanned object.